Projectile foe firearms



R. SEALER.

Projectile.

Patented July 16, 1861.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REUBEN SHALER, OF MADISON, CONNECTICUT.

PROJECTILE FOR FIREARMS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 32,844, dated July 16, 1861.

provement in Projectiles for Fir -arms, the

construction and operation of which I have described in the following specification and illustrated in its accompanying drawings with suflicient clearness to enable competent and skilful workmen in the arts to which it pertains or is most nearly allied to make and use my invention.

Various attempts have been made to cause rifle and musket balls to lit snugly to the sides of the barrel in their discharge therefrom and thus prevent the escape of the gas which is generated by the explosion of the powder, and which constitutes the motive force. To accomplish this purpose has been found no less diflicult than desirable espebe satisfactorily dispensed with.

cially with regard to the rifle, where in order to prevent leakage, the bullet must of 11ecessity fit into and entirely till the grooves. Experiments carefully made show conclusively that no bullet now known to the public satisfactorily accomplishes this purpose.

The objectaurl purposeof my said invention is to produce a bullet which shall perfectly lit the sides of the barrel, and prevent the escape of gas during its discharge therefrom. I accomplish this purpose by making a shal low recess or cavity in the breech of the ball and fitting a dome shaped or arched piece of sheet metal into this cavity in such a manner as to cause the pressure of the powder upon it to throw out the edges of the bullet at the breech so as to make them tit snugly against the sides of the barrel, and till the grooves, if there are any, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

I have illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawings. as follows:

Figure l is a side elevation of the bullet. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section, showing the parts beyond the center, and parallel in its plane of projection to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a breech view.

1 is the body of the bullet, which is presumed to be made of the usual 1naterial,- lead. It is made in the external form of what is known as the conical bullet, being tapered to a dull point at the forward end, but at the rear end made to fit with reasonable approximation the caliber of the barrel, and to give it steadiness of direction at the outset as Well as for other useful purposes, the

sides are made parallel for a considcable portion of its length. Its form is clearly represented in the drawings. At the breech of this bullet there is a shallow cavity formed leaving the narrow rim 2, projecting from the main body of the bullet. This rini must be very narrow or it will not so elliciently accomplish the purpose intended and at the same time be otherwise unobject'ionable. Its proper width proportioned to the size of the bullet is shown in the drawings. Into the cavity thus formed I lit a dome shaped or concave-convex piece of lead or zinc or other suitable metal 3, as shown in the drawings. To secure this from the possible contingency of falling out before it is inserted in the gun, I prefer to swage in the edges of the flanges at the butt of the bullet, after the piece 3, is put in, though if made to lit very closely, this operation may perhaps This bullet, constructed as I have described, is adapted to use with any kind of small tire arms, and answers the purpose for which it was designed in a manner which is entirely satisfactory.

In using this bullet no patch is in any case required even in a muzzle loading gun, for the action of the ralumer in driving the charge home, by applying l'orce which opcrates on the crown of the piece 3, expands the butt of the ball and causes it to fit snugly. The action of the powder by driv ing the crest of the crown inward toward the butt of the bullet produces so forcible an cliect in pushing out the base of the ball as to drive the lead into the grooves of a rifle,

completely filling them and giving them their utmost ciliciency, as well as entirely preventing any windage or escape of gas at the sides of the bullet.

By actual experiments carefully tried with this bullet and the best Millie balls it is found that this improvement:- causes a large gain of force and eiiect, and also superior accuracy of direction, the latter probably owing to the facts that this construction al.- lows the weight of the bullet to be better balanced for accurate firing, that it gives greater effect to the riding, and also that the butt of this bullet while made to fit closely is not liable to rupture or derangement of its form by the force employed to drive it into contact with the barrel.

Fig. t shows an arrangement of parts by which this improvement is made applicable to artillery practice, and is a sectional ele- \ation. In this arrangement 1 is the cast iron portion of the ball, which is recessed to receive the ring 2, as shown in the drawing. This ring is afterward 'ast into the butt of the iron ball and forms a flange answering of the flange :2, in the other drawings. The plate 3 is applied precisely in the same Way as that already described for small arms, and accomplishes the same result. In this case the flange 2, and the plate 3, may he of zinc 01' an allot of lead and zinc.

Having thus fully described my said invention I claim- Providing the butt or rear end of a bullet 1.3

REUBEN SHALER.

\Vitnesses:

L. A. ROBERTS, Tnos. P. How. 

